Shea anthem hopefuls asked to hit high notes

Yesterday, most of the hundreds of people who auditioned to sing the national anthem at Shea Stadium this season never reached the outfield fence.

Most didn't even sing the notoriously difficult tune — contestants were allowed to choose other songs.

"Have you sung outside the shower before?" entertainer Michael Amante, one of the judges, asked a young woman who offered a demure and shaky "America the Beautiful."

The judges were choosing 10 singers who will go to the Mets' stadium in Queens in a few weeks for a second audition — this one from second base and singing the actual anthem with its very high notes. Five winners will be picked to sing it before home games at Shea.

The Mets usually have professionals performing the anthem, but team organizers say they launched the publicity stunt to give fans a chance to be part of the game.

The open auditions were held for the second year at the midtown Manhattan studios of SportsNet New York (SNY), the TV home of the Mets where fans began lining up the night before for the 11 a.m. call.

Amante, a singer, was one of three judges, joining Gary Apple, anchor of SNY's "SportsNite," and Lolita Lopez, WPIX sports anchor.